System and Method for Pneumatic Transport

ABSTRACT

A pneumatic transport system has a plurality of interconnected stations for transporting a carrier containing a material. Pneumatic travel tubes interconnect the stations. Each station has a rotatable cartridge assembly with a first tube for pass-through of the carrier, a second tube for loading the carrier, and a third tube for receiving the carrier. Each tube is configurable to be aligned with the travel tubes. A wear plate assembly is in slidable communication with the rotatable cartridge assembly. The wear plate assembly has a center plate with a solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-pass opening. A computer system controls the configuration of the interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier between stations while passing through intermediate stations without stopping movement of the carrier. A user interface provides for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.

CLAIM TO DOMESTIC PRIORITY

The present application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No.11/623,073, filed Jan. 13, 2007, which claims the benefit of priority ofProvisional Application Ser. No. 60/758,905 entitled “PneumaticTransport System,” filed Jan. 13, 2006, which applications are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to pneumatic transport systemsand, more particularly, to a system and method of transporting materialsbetween various stations without delaying the movement of material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pneumatic tube systems are widely used in commercial applications tomove articles from one location to another location. Pneumatic tubesystems generally utilize a hollow cylinder or “carrier” in which thematerials are placed for transport within the system. The carriercontaining the materials to be transported travels through pneumatictravel tubes. Such systems have been used in department stores and banksfor bi-directionally movement of currency, deposit slips, sales slips,and the like between the ends of a single tube.

Pneumatic tube systems are also commonly used in hospitals and similarmedical facilities for the rapid movement of medicines, supplies, andbiological samples within the building. In this setting, the user needsa more complex system than a single tube because the system must movecarriers to different stations on different floors. In one application,the pharmacy may need to send carriers containing medication to one ofmany possible nurse's stations. The nurse's station may need to sendcarriers containing blood samples to the lab for analysis. In anothersituation, the pharmacy may want to send the medication directly to theemergency room. In such complex arrangements, a system of dedicatedtubes having single end points would be impractical since multiple tubeswould need to run to each of many locations.

To overcome this problem, “diverters”, such as those described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,529,335 have been used. Briefly, a diverter has a pluralityof tubes terminating in a revolving cylinder. FIG. 1 illustrates sourcestation 10 sending a carrier through diverter 12. The diverter receivesa carrier from tube 14, rotates, and then sends the carrier back outanother tube, e.g., tubes 16, 18, 20, and 22. For example, a carrierfrom station 10 (pharmacy) travels into a diverter and stops. Thediverter rotates until it is aligned with a desired exit tube. Theblower then turns on and sends the carrier back out through the selectedexit tube to the desired end location (nurse's station), possibly on adifferent floor of the hospital.

The number of locations in either direction that can be serviced isincreased by employing multiple diverters. FIG. 1 illustrates diverters30, 32, 34, and 36 being connected to tubes 16-22, respectively.Diverter 30 also connects to tubes 38, 40, 42, and 44; diverter 32 alsoconnects to tubes 46, 48, 50, and 52; diverter 34 also connects to tubes54, 56, 58, and 60; diverter 36 also connects to tubes 62, 64, 66, and68. Stations 70, 72, 74, and 76 connect to tubes 38, 40, 42, and 44,respectively. Stations 78, 80, 82, and 84 connect to tubes 46, 48, 50,and 52, respectively. Stations 86, 88, 90, and 92 connect to tubes 54,56, 58, and 60, respectively. Stations 94, 96, 97, and 98 connect totubes 62, 64, 66, and 68, respectively.

Station 10 can route a carrier to station 70 by way of diverter 12 anddiverter 30. The carrier is routed from station 10 to diverter 12 by wayof tube 14 and stops. Diverter 12 rotates to align with tube 16. Thecarrier is then routed to diverter 30 and stops. Diverter 30 rotates toalign with tube 38. The carrier is routed to station 70. In anotherexample, station 72 can send a carrier to station 98 by way of diverter30, diverter 12, and diverter 36. The carrier is routed from station 72to diverter 30 by way of tube 40 and stops. Diverter 30 rotates to alignwith tube 16. The carrier is then routed to diverter 12 and stops.Diverter 12 rotates to align with tube 22. The carrier is then routed todiverter 36 and stops. Diverter 36 rotates to align with tube 68. Thecarrier is routed to station 98. A return trip from station 98 tostation 72, which is common, uses the same tubes and diverters in theopposite order. The carrier moving from station 72 to station 98 andback again may require eight diverter rotations plus two carrier stopsplus two carrier starts each by three different diverters. In general,the carrier may be required to stop at each diverter depending on thespecific layout.

Yet, even with the flexibility of the pneumatic system of FIG. 1, thenumber of inlet and outlet tubes possible on any given diverter islimited due to space concerns and limitations on the size of therotational mechanisms. In addition, each station is an end point thatrelies upon a dedicated diverter for sending and receiving a carrier.Accordingly, the needs of even a modest hospital require many divertersin order to service the large number of entry points. Diverters alsoincrease travel time due to stoppage of the carrier and the rotation toalign with different tubes, increase maintenance costs due to failure ofthe moving parts of the diverters, and have relatively high capitalcosts.

Accordingly, a need exists for a pneumatic transport system thatdecreases travel time and reduces system capital costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is a pneumatic transport systemcomprising a carrier containing a material. A plurality ofinterconnected stations transports the carrier. Each station has firstand second pneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting the stations, anda rotatable cartridge assembly having a plurality of tubes which areeach configurable to be aligned with the first and second pneumatictravel tubes. A computer system controls the configuration of each ofthe plurality of interconnected stations to provide transport of thecarrier between first and second stations while passing throughintermediate stations between the first and second stations withoutstopping movement of the carrier.

In another embodiment, the present invention is a pneumatic transportsystem comprising a carrier containing a material. A first and secondchain of interconnected stations transport the carrier. Each station hasfirst and second pneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting thestations, and a rotatable cartridge assembly having a plurality of tubeswhich are each configurable to be aligned with the first and secondpneumatic travel tubes. A diverter connects the first and second chainsof interconnected stations. A computer system controls the configurationof each of the plurality of interconnected stations to provide transportof the carrier between first and second stations.

In another embodiment, the present invention is a computer-controlledpneumatic transport system comprising a plurality of interconnectedstations for transporting a carrier. Each station has first and secondpneumatic travel tubes for interconnecting the stations, and a rotatablecartridge assembly having a plurality of tubes which are eachconfigurable to be aligned with the first and second pneumatic traveltubes.

In another embodiment, the present invention is a computer-implementedmethod of controlling pneumatic transport of carriers comprising thesteps of transporting a carrier through a plurality of stationsinterconnected by pneumatic travel tubes, rotating a cartridge assemblywithin each station to align cartridge tubes with the pneumatic traveltubes, and controlling the configuration of each of the plurality ofstations to provide transport of the carrier between first and secondstations while passing through intermediate stations between the firstand second stations without stopping movement of the carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a known pneumatic transport system using diverters;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pneumatic transport system arranged in a loop ofstations;

FIG. 3 illustrates a station with rotating cartridge assembly with tubesaligned to the pneumatic travel tubes;

FIG. 4 illustrates a wear plate assembly for the rotating cartridgeassembly;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pneumatic transport system having multiple loopsconnected by diverters;

FIG. 6 illustrates another pneumatic transport system having multipleloops connected without any diverter;

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer system for controlling the pneumatictransport system; and

FIG. 8 illustrates further detail of the computer system for controllingthe pneumatic transport system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in one or more embodiments in thefollowing description with reference to the Figures, in which likenumerals represent the same or similar elements. While the invention isdescribed in terms of the best mode for achieving the invention'sobjectives, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that itis intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as maybe included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined bythe appended claims and their equivalents as supported by the followingdisclosure and drawings.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pneumatic transport system 100 is shown having aplurality of pass-through entry stations 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112,114, and 116. In the present discussion, pneumatic transport system 100will be described in terms of a hospital transport system. The systemcan be used in any application where there is a need to transportmaterial from one location to another location, e.g., manufacturingplants, financial transaction processing centers, businesses, retail,government facilities, shipping services, universities, hotels, etc. Inthe present example, station 102 may be located in the hospitalpharmacy, stations 104-108 may be individual nurse's desks, station 110may be patient admitting, station 112 may be an emergency room, station114 may be x-ray, and station 116 may be a laboratory.

Each pass-through entry station has several functions. In one aspect,each station can receive a carrier containing a material to betransported. A carrier is a hollow, cylindrical vessel or container withan access door or hatch that can be opened and closed. The carrier mustbe suitable to transport through a pneumatic tube under air pressure.The carrier typically has bumper guards on each end to absorb the impactof traveling through the pneumatic tubes and the sudden stop at thedestination station without damaging the material inside. The materialcan be anything that can disposed within the carrier for transport fromone location to another. In a hospital setting, the material can beorders, records, medicines, supplies, and biological samples. In abusiness or industrial setting, the material can be documents, receipts,reports, component parts, just to name a few. The user places thematerial in the carrier and closes the carrier access door. The usergains access to the pass-through entry station, typically through apanel or access door and introduces the carrier in the pneumatic system.Each station has the ability to pass through carriers or receivecarriers originating from other stations.

Pneumatic transport system 100 is arranged in “loops” or “zones” toallow carriers to move from station to station within the loop undercomputer control. As shown in FIG. 2, in loop 118, station 102 isconnected to station 104 by way of pneumatic travel tube 130 for routingthe carrier between the stations; station 104 is connected to station106 by way of pneumatic travel tube 132; station 106 is connected tostation 108 by way of pneumatic travel tube 134; station 108 isconnected to station 110 by way of pneumatic travel tube 136; station110 is connected to station 112 by way of pneumatic travel tube 138;station 112 is connected to station 114 by way of pneumatic travel tube140; station 114 is connected to station 116 by way of pneumatic traveltube 142; station 116 is connected to station 102 by way of pneumatictravel tube 144. Each pneumatic travel tube is generally circular incross section and sufficiently airtight that either a vacuum oroverpressure induced in the tube causes movement of air to transportcarriers contained within the tube.

The stations within a loop are organized in different logical layouts orchains. For example, the loop may connect highly interactive areas toaid in rapid transport of materials between hospital facilities thatfrequently interact and need quick response, e.g., loop 118 may connectpatient admitting with the emergency room, x-ray, and blood analysislaboratory. Alternatively, the loop may connect areas in closeproximity, e.g., loop 118 may cover one floor or wing of a hospital.

The computer system controls entry and movement of carriers within thetubes, including the speed at which the carrier moves within the tubes.The computer controls whether each station within the loop will passthrough the carrier or capture the carrier. To transport a carrier fromstation 102 to station 108, the carrier is introduced into station 102.Stations 104 and 106 are intermediate between stations 102 and 108 andare set by the computer system to pass through the carrier. Station 108is set by the computer system to receive or capture the carrier. Thecarrier passes from station 102, through intermediate stations 104 and106 without stopping, and is deposited at station 108. Pneumatictransport system 100 is bi-directional. To transport a carrier fromstation 108 to station 102, the carrier is introduced into station 108.Intermediate stations 106 and 104 are set by the computer system to passthrough the carrier. Station 102 is set by the computer system toreceive the carrier. The carrier passes from station 108, throughintermediate stations 106 and 104 without stopping, and is deposited atstation 102.

Likewise, to transport a carrier from station 116 to station 110, thecarrier is introduced into station 116. Stations 112 and 114 areintermediate between stations 116 and 110 and are set by the computersystem to pass through the carrier. Station 110 is set by the computersystem to receive the carrier. The carrier passes from station 116,through intermediate stations 114 and 112 without stopping, and isdeposited at station 110. To transport a carrier from station 110 tostation 116, the carrier is introduced into station 110. Intermediatestations 112 and 114 are set by the computer system to pass through thecarrier. Station 116 is set by the computer system to receive thecarrier. The carrier passes from station 110, through intermediatestations 112 and 114 without stopping, and is deposited at station 116.As discussed below, pneumatic transport system 100 will select the mostefficient route, which may be but is not necessarily the shortest route.

Further detail of pass-through entry station 102 is shown in FIG. 3 asexemplary of the other stations. The pass-through entry station 102 hashousing 150 with access door. Inside the station housing, a rotatablecartridge assembly 152 has a plurality of cartridge tubes 153, 154, and155. End plates 156 cap the cartridge assembly and form an airtight sealwith collar 158. The cartridge assembly 152 rotates by electric motors160 under computer control and aligns with respect to pneumatic traveltubes 130 and 144. Control panel 157 receives operator commands tocontrol the system, e.g., by computer keyboard or touch screen. Whencartridge assembly 152 rotates, collar 158 is biased against the surfaceof the end plates 156 to prevent loss of vacuum between cartridge tubeassembly 152 and travel tubes 130 and 144, while reducing wear on theengaged surfaces and preventing loss of pressure from the pneumaticsystem. Collar 158 may be a single piece fitted around travel tubes 130and 144 and downwardly biased by gravity. Collar 158 may also includering 162 that is rigidly affixed to the outside surface of travel tubes130 and 144 and a plurality of springs 164 to bias collar 158 away fromring 162.

FIG. 4 illustrates wear plate assembly 178 as having center plate 180and wears plates 182, which are removably attached to the upper andlower surfaces of center plate 180. Wear plates 182 are formed ofplastic or other low friction material and are in slidable communicationwith cartridge end plates 156. Wear plates 182 may be contiguous withcenter plate 180. Wear plate assembly 178 further includes a centerspring mechanism 186 to bias the weight of cartridge assembly 152 offwear plates 182 to reduce the rate of wear. Wear plate assembly 178includes carrier pass opening 188 and air-pass openings 190 in centerplate 180 and wear plates 182, but is otherwise a solid, contiguoussurface.

Consider the operation of pass-through entry station 102 with pneumatictransport system 100 described as follows. The user places the materialto be transported into carrier 166 of FIG. 3. The user closes carrier166 and loads it into cartridge tube 155 through opening 159. Using thecontrol panel 157, the user enters the destination of the carrier 166containing the material to be transported. The operator may furtherspecify the materials enclosed in the carrier 166. The computer systemdetermines the most efficient route to the destination in order to sendthe carrier in the appropriate direction within the tube.

The computer control engages electric motors 160 to rotate cartridgeassembly 152 such that loading cartridge tube 155 aligns with pneumatictravel tubes 130 and 144. Wear plate assembly 178 rotates such thatair-pass openings 190 are aligned with the pneumatic travel tubes tosupport carrier 166. The pneumatic system is pressured to send carrier166 toward its destination station.

In the present example, assume the destination is station 108. The mostefficient path is determined to be through stations 104 and 106. Themost efficient path could have been through stations 116, 114, 112, 110,if the path through station 104 and 106 is busy with another transportoperation, or if station 104 or 106 is not operational. The computersystem controls cartridge assemblies 152 in stations 104 and 106 toalign cartridge tubes 154 with the pneumatic travel tubes associatedwith each station. In other words, the pneumatic transport system 100automatically aligns each intermediate station in the carrier's path toa pass-through mode so the carrier passes through each intermediatestation without stopping. With the unique configuration of theintermediate stations in pneumatic transport system 100, the carrierdoes not stop once in motion. Wear plate assembly 178 of stations 104and 106 is rotated such that carrier pass opening 188 is aligned withthe pneumatic travel tubes. The cartridge assembly 152 in stations 104and 106 acts like any other section of travel tube to pass through thecarrier toward the next station.

The computer system further controls cartridge assembly 152 for station108 to be in capture mode by aligning receiving cartridge tube 153 withthe pneumatic travel tubes for station 108 to stop carrier 166. Wearplate assembly 178 of station 108 rotates such that the solid portion isaligned with the pneumatic travel tubes. The pneumatic transport system100 automatically slows down the flow of air to slow the speed ofcarrier 166 as it approaches station 108 in order to prevent damage tomaterials that are sensitive to high gravitational forces that may begenerated as the carrier accelerates and decelerates. As the carrierapproaches its destination station as indicated by a pressure build-upfrom the column of air in front of the carrier, a pressure relief valveopens in response to the pressure build-up to reduce the pressure in thepneumatic travel tube which slows the carrier's approach into thestation.

Accordingly, the carrier 166 travels from station 102, throughintermediate stations 104 and 106, without stopping, to its destinationand is deposited in receiving cartridge tube 153 of station 108. Ascarrier 166 approaches station 108, the solid surface providesbackpressure to slow carrier 166 and supports carrier 166 within station108. The cartridge assembly 152 in station 108 rotates away from thepneumatic travel tubes and carrier 166 falls from receiving cartridgetube 153 into drop bin 168.

FIG. 5 illustrates transport system 200 as a more complex arrangementwhich includes diverters as described in FIG. 1. Pneumatic transportloop or chain 201 includes station 202 which is connected to station 204by way of pneumatic travel tube 206 for routing the carrier between thestations; station 204 is connected to station 208 by way of pneumatictravel tube 210; station 208 is connected to diverter 212 by way ofpneumatic travel tube 214; station 202 is connected to station 216 byway of pneumatic travel tube 218; station 216 is connected to station220 by way of pneumatic travel tube 222; station 220 is connected todiverter 212 by way of pneumatic travel tube 224.

Pneumatic transport loop or chain 230 is part of system 200 and includesstation 232 which is connected to station 234 by way of pneumatic traveltube 236 for routing the carrier between the stations; station 234 isconnected to station 238 by way of pneumatic travel tube 240; station238 is connected to diverter 242 by way of pneumatic travel tube 244;station 232 is connected to station 246 by way of pneumatic travel tube248; station 246 is connected to station 250 by way of pneumatic traveltube 252; station 250 is connected to diverter 242 by way of pneumatictravel tube 254. Diverter 242 is connected to diverter 212 by way ofpneumatic travel tube 256.

Pneumatic transport loop or chain 260 is also part of system 200 andincludes station 262 which is connected to station 264 by way ofpneumatic travel tube 266 for routing the carrier between the stations;station 264 is connected to station 268 by way of pneumatic travel tube270; station 268 is connected to diverter 272 by way of pneumatic traveltube 274; station 262 is connected to station 276 by way of pneumatictravel tube 278; station 276 is connected to station 280 by way ofpneumatic travel tube 282; station 280 is connected to diverter 272 byway of pneumatic travel tube 284. Diverter 272 is connected to diverter212 by way of pneumatic travel tube 286. Diverter 272 is also connectedto diverter 242 by way of pneumatic travel tube 288.

Pneumatic transport link 290 is also part of system 200 and includesstation 292 which is connected to station 276 by way of pneumatic traveltube 294 for routing the carrier between the stations; station 292 isconnected to station 296 by way of pneumatic travel tube 298; station296 is connected to station 300 by way of pneumatic travel tube 302.

Pneumatic transport loops 201, 230, and 260 may be in different wings orfloors of the hospital. To route a carrier from station 202 to station232, the computer system controls intermediate stations 204 and 208 topass the carrier through to diverter 212. Diverter 212 stops thecarrier, rotates to align with tube 256, and sends the carrier todiverter 242. Diverter 242 stops the carrier, rotates to align with tube244, and sends the carrier to station 238. Intermediate stations 238 and234 are also set to pass-through mode and station 232 is set to capturemode so the carrier arrives at the intended destination. To then route acarrier from station 232 to station 262, the computer system controlsintermediate stations 246 and 250 to pass the carrier through todiverter 242. Diverter 242 stops the carrier, rotates to align with tube288, and sends the carrier to diverter 272. Diverter 272 stops thecarrier, rotates to align with tube 274, and sends the carrier tostation 268. Intermediate stations 268 and 264 are also set topass-through mode and station 262 is set to capture mode so the carrierarrives at the intended destination.

FIG. 6 illustrates transport system 310 as one pneumatic transport loopconnected to another transport loop, without using diverters. Pneumatictransport loop 312 includes station 314 which is connected to station316 by way of pneumatic travel tube 318 for routing the carrier betweenthe stations; station 316 is connected to station 320 by way ofpneumatic travel tube 322; station 320 is connected to station 324 byway of pneumatic travel tube 326; station 324 is connected to station328 by way of pneumatic travel tube 330; station 328 is connected tostation 332 by way of pneumatic travel tube 334; station 332 isconnected to station 336 by way of pneumatic travel tube 338; station336 is connected to station 340 by way of pneumatic travel tube 342;station 340 is connected to station 314 by way of pneumatic travel tube344.

Pneumatic transport loop 350 is also part of system 310 and includesstation 352 which is connected to station 328 by way of pneumatic traveltube 354 for routing the carrier between the stations; station 352 isconnected to station 356 by way of pneumatic travel tube 358; station356 is connected to station 360 by way of pneumatic travel tube 362;station 360 is connected to station 328 by way of pneumatic travel tube364.

To route a carrier from station 314 to station 328, the computer systemcontrols intermediate stations 316, 320, and 324 to pass the carrierstraight through to station 328, without the carrier stopping itsmotion. Alternatively, the carrier may pass straight throughintermediate stations 340, 336, and 332 to get to station 328, againwithout the carrier stopping its motion. Station 328 is set to capturemode so the carrier arrives at the intended destination. To route acarrier from station 356 to station 328, the computer system controlsintermediate station 360 to pass the carrier straight through to station328, without the carrier stopping its motion. Alternatively, the carriermay pass straight through intermediate station 352 to get to station328, again without the carrier stopping its motion. Station 328 is setto capture mode so the carrier arrives at the intended destination.

The cartridge assembly 152 in station 328 rotates between two sets ofpneumatic travel tubes. The cartridge assembly in station 328 may havefive tubes: two adjacent pass-through tubes, one loading tube, onereceiving tube, and another pass-through tube between the loading tubeand the receiving tube. The pass-through cartridge tubes provide astraight pass through between travel tubes 330 and 334 and betweentravel tubes 364 and 354. When a carrier is loaded, the loadingcartridge tube aligns with the intended pneumatic travel tubes. When acarrier is received, the receiving cartridge tube aligns with the activepneumatic travel tube. The cartridge assembly then rotates and depositsthe carrier in the drop bin.

In a similar manner, the cartridge assembly 152 in station 276 rotatesbetween two sets of pneumatic travel tubes. When a carrier is loaded,the loading cartridge tube aligns with the intended pneumatic traveltubes. When a carrier is received, the receiving cartridge tube alignswith the active pneumatic travel tube. The cartridge assembly thenrotates and deposits the carrier in the drop bin. Pneumatic transportlink 290 and pneumatic transport loops 312 and 350 demonstrate thatpneumatic loops and links can be connected without diverters.

The pneumatic transport system 100 uses software operating on a computersystem for controlling the transport of carriers between multiplestations utilizing stations, diverters, and blowers. FIG. 7 illustratesa simplified computer system 400 for executing the software program usedin the pneumatic transport system 100. Computer system 400 is ageneral-purpose computer including a central processing unit ormicroprocessor 402, mass storage device or hard disk 404, electronicmemory 406, and communication port 408. Communication port 408represents an electronic connection to transmit and receive command andcontrol data to system components, such as station controllers 410 and412, blowers 414, and diverters 416.

The computer system runs application software and computer programswhich can be used to control the system components, provide userinterface, and provide the features of the pneumatic transport system100. The software is originally provided on computer-readable media,such as compact disks (CDs), magnetic tape, or other mass storagemedium. Alternatively, the software is downloaded from electronic linkssuch as the host or vendor website. The software is installed onto thecomputer system hard drive 404 and/or electronic memory 406, and isaccessed and controlled by the computer's operating system. Softwareupdates are also electronically available on mass storage media ordownloadable from the host or vendor website. The software, as providedon the computer-readable media or downloaded from electronic links,represents a computer program product usable with a programmablecomputer processor having computer-readable program code embodiedtherein. The software contains one or more programming modules,subroutines, computer links, and compilations of executable code, whichperform the functions of the pneumatic transport system 100. The userinteracts with the software via keyboard, mouse, voice recognition, andother user-interface devices connected to the computer system.

FIG. 8 illustrates further detail of the pneumatic transport controlsystem. The control system includes the main computer controller, e.g.,computer system 400, multiple station controllers 410 and 412, andembedded controllers for the blowers 414 and diverters 416. The maincomputer controller is responsible for processing all the informationfrom all devices and managing the transfer of carriers through thesystem. The main computer controller contains software for configuringthe pneumatic transport system 100, displaying carrier transportinformation, recording and displaying station, diverter, blower and zonestatus, processing carrier transport information from the stations,scheduling carrier transports, generating the optimal path for thecarrier, executing a carrier transfer, reporting system errors,recording carrier transport information and storing the information in adatabase, and downloading software upgrades to all stations. The userinterface has graphical user interface (GUI).

The main computer controller 400 has network interface 420 to blowers414, person computers 422, and TCU 424. The network interface connectsto scheduler and traffic controller 426 which schedules and tracksmovement of all carriers and configuration of all stations with thepneumatic transport system 100. Zone controller 428 has electronicmodules dedicated to control the stations within each loop or zonewithin the system. The zone controllers reside in their own threads thatwill spawn when control is needed. The up-to-date control informationand any errors are sent through database interface 430 to database 432.The scheduler and traffic controller 426 also interfaces with database432 and sends and receives information via user interface 436. Reportgenerator 434 receives up-to-date configuration and status informationfrom the database and presents the information to the user via userinterface 436.

Each station controller contains software for receiving user commandsthrough a GUI, transferring that information to the main computercontroller, and controlling the hardware necessary to process a carriertransport, e.g., the rotatable cartridge assembly 152. Network interface440 communicates with network interface 420 of the main computer 400.GUI 442 interacts with network interface 440, station controller 444,and station database 446. Likewise, station controller 444 interactswith network interface 440, station database 446, and hardware interface448. Hardware interface 448 controls station hardware 450 such as therotation of cartridge assembly 152, wear plate 178, and electric motors160.

The communication between the stations, blowers, diverters, and maincomputer is done using transmission control protocol/internet protocol(TCP/IP). The system communication is propagated using the client/servermodel. The model is separated by two distinct categories that can bedescribed as, a requester of information the client, and the server ofinformation the server. The stations and the main computer controlleract as both the client and the server, while the blowers and thediverters act as a client.

The user interfaces in the system have security restrictions on thembased on the user level of the individual operating the system. Userscan create unique passwords and track individual utilizations of thesystem. The security model allows users to be added and removed from thesystem and assigns levels of security for each individual to manage theoperation of the system. The security levels allow certain areas of theuser interface to be controlled based on the user's security level,which helps restrict certain individuals from retrieving or sendingrestricted contents of a carrier. The security levels also preventunauthorized users from modifying the system design or hardwareoperations.

The pneumatic transport system software utilizes NET and structuredquery language (SQL) server technology to create a robust secure datasystem for generating, storing, and displaying the necessary data forexecuting and recording the transfer of carriers in the system. Thesystem allows multiple stations to request, process, and execute carriertransfers. The system allows carrier paths to be generated fromrelationships between objects in the system. These relationships arestored as data in the SQL server database along with their attributes.The path generator will generate all possible paths between twostations. After analyzing each of the paths in terms of length, presentusage, and off-line stations, the main computer controller determinesthe most efficient and effective path for a carrier to travel. Allinformation transferring to and from the data base is executed throughembedded stored procedures residing on the SQL server.

In addition, the data associated with each transport is stored in theSQL server database 432 for displaying on the user interfaces and forgenerating reports. The transport data includes start station,destination station, carrier contents, queue time, transfer time, andthe path used for the transfer. Data associated with alarms and errorsthat occur in the system are also stored in the SQL server database 432.

The pneumatic transport system software provides a unique interface thatallows users to design a transport system using a “tree view” approachin which the users graphically create a transport system by inserting,deleting, and modifying objects of the system. An object that isintroduced into the tree view is stored, along with its attributes andrelationships to other objects, in the SQL server database through alibrary of stored procedures. These relationships and attributes aregathered and utilized in SQL server store procedures to create thenecessary paths for carriers to flow through the system. In addition,this data is used to update the user interface with information aboutcarrier transactions, alarms, maintenance records, and paths.

Consider one example where the user enters a command to transport acarrier from one station to another. The user commands are receivedthrough GUI 442 which are sent through network interface 440 and networkinterface 420 to scheduler and traffic controller 426. The optimal pathis selected based on system status and commands are sent via networkinterfaces 420 and 440 to each station controller 444 along thedesignated path. The hardware is configured by the station controllersand the carrier transport is made.

While one or more embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated in detail, the skilled artisan will appreciate thatmodifications and adaptations to those embodiments may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

1. A pneumatic transport system, comprising: a carrier containing amaterial; first and second chains of interconnected stations fortransporting the carrier, the first and second chains of interconnectedstations each defining interconnected transportation zones, each stationincluding, (a) first and second pneumatic travel tubes forinterconnecting the stations, and (b) a rotatable cartridge assemblyhaving a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to be aligned withthe first and second pneumatic travel tubes; a diverter connecting thefirst and second chains of interconnected stations to transfer thecarrier between the interconnected transportation zones; and a computersystem controlling the configuration of each of the plurality ofinterconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier betweenfirst and second stations.
 2. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1,further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication withthe rotatable cartridge assembly.
 3. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 2, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate havinga solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-passopening.
 4. The pneumatic transport system of claim 2, including anelectric motor for rotating the wear plate assembly.
 5. The pneumatictransport system of claim 1, further including an electric motor forrotating the cartridge assembly.
 6. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 1, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube forpass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.7. The pneumatic transport system of claim 1, further including a userinterface for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.
 8. Apneumatic transport system, comprising: a carrier containing a material;first and second chains of interconnected stations for transporting thecarrier, each station including, (a) first and second pneumatic traveltubes for interconnecting the stations, and (b) a rotatable cartridgeassembly having a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to bealigned with the first and second pneumatic travel tubes; a diverterconnecting the first and second chains of interconnected stations; and acomputer system controlling the configuration of each of the pluralityof interconnected stations to provide transport of the carrier betweenfirst and second stations.
 9. The pneumatic transport system of claim 8,further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication withthe rotatable cartridge assembly.
 10. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 9, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate havinga solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-passopening.
 11. The pneumatic transport system of claim 9, including anelectric motor for rotating the wear plate assembly.
 12. The pneumatictransport system of claim 8, further including an electric motor forrotating the cartridge assembly.
 13. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 8, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube forpass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.14. The pneumatic transport system of claim 8, further including a userinterface for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system.
 15. Apneumatic transport system, comprising: a carrier containing a material;first and second chains of interconnected stations for transporting thecarrier, each station including, (a) first and second pneumatic traveltubes for interconnecting the stations, and (b) a rotatable cartridgeassembly having a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to bealigned with the first and second pneumatic travel tubes; and a diverterfor transporting the carrier between the first and second chains ofinterconnected stations.
 16. The pneumatic transport system of claim 15,wherein the diverter is connected to the first and second chains ofinterconnected stations.
 17. The pneumatic transport system of claim 15,further including a wear plate assembly in slidable communication withthe rotatable cartridge assembly.
 18. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 17, wherein the wear plate assembly includes a center plate havinga solid portion, an opening for passing the carrier, and an air-passopening.
 19. The pneumatic transport system of claim 17, including anelectric motor for rotating the wear plate assembly.
 20. The pneumatictransport system of claim 15, further including an electric motor forrotating the cartridge assembly.
 21. The pneumatic transport system ofclaim 15, wherein the cartridge assembly has a first tube forpass-through of the carrier and a second tube for loading the carrier.22. The pneumatic transport system of claim 15, further including a userinterface for entering commands to the pneumatic transport system. 23.The pneumatic transport system of claim 15, wherein the carrier containsmedicines, supplies, or hazardous materials.
 24. The pneumatic transportsystem of claim 15, including a computer system controlling theconfiguration of each of the plurality of interconnected stations toprovide transport of the carrier between first and second stations. 25.A method of transporting a carrier, comprising: providing a carriercontaining a material; providing first and second chains ofinterconnected stations for transporting the carrier, each stationincluding, (a) first and second pneumatic travel tubes forinterconnecting the stations, and (b) a rotatable cartridge assemblyhaving a plurality of tubes, each tube configurable to be aligned withthe first and second pneumatic travel tubes; providing a diverter fortransporting the carrier between the first and second chains ofinterconnected stations; and controlling the configuration of each ofthe plurality of interconnected stations to provide transport of thecarrier between first and second stations using a computer system.